Draft connector



.n.rA. E. MADORE DRAFT CONNECTOR Nov. 16, 1948.

Patented Nov. 16, 1948 eo STATES Per ore-ica 2,453,998,LV 'y DRAF-T'CONNECTOW'- Joseph` A Madere; Montreal, Quebec, Canada.` ApplicationAprill'l, 19497",l Serial N Jv:"74"1,992v`v 3 Claims. (Cl. WSJ-90)' provision ofadraftconnectienf-for' such vehicles which' isfvery' etlicientv` toitransmitthe` animal,

traction, or thelike; directly to the frame ofthe vehicle.

Another object is the provisimsi of a draft con nection wherein the draft'` pole is absolutelyrdevoid of connection holes--orapertures tending'to decreaseuits strength.

Anotherv important objectY isA the provisionA of4 means of the characterdescri'bed appli'cable'with out difticultyto existing vehicles.

Still another objectv ofv the invention contemplates a mechanism whichv is rugged and of moderate-i cost intendedtoimprove` the steering of winter runner vehicles.

Other objects andadvantagesof they invention will become apparent, or willv he particularly pointedtout, during the description to follow;

As an example and for purposes of illustration only an embodiment of the invention is shown in the annexed drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention adapted to a sleigh;

Figure 2 is an elevation side View of the mechanism proper;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section oi said mechanism;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal partial and enlarged section of the left part of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a detailed partial section of the king pin taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

In the annexed drawing, wherein the same reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout, the letter V designates generally, in Figure 1, the frame oi the vehicle, which frame is supported and pivoted at I0 to a cross-beam I I connecting together the two runners I2, one of which is shown in said figure for purposes of simpllcation. According to established practice, the front of the runner-s is connected together by a transverse pole or tong bar I3 to which a draft pole I4 is attached, the said bar being reinforced by braces I5.

Contrary to the general arrangement wherein the swingletrees I6 and the doubletree I1 are secured directly to the draft pole, the device of the invention contemplates an independent connection of the draft pole, slidable thereover, and connecting directly by means of a chain I8 the be pulled. The front end of the a` vehicle so asl tow: transmit' directly thereto'fthe'f'draft exerted on the polerIlfby the, draft `animalsl or thelike.v Thus; ythe draiiipol'e isnonlyused to exert on'the runners the-rrequiredAr frame Vof 1 directionf and, furthermore,` liberate'saidmunners of any stress tendingto kick-upthesa'me :anda leave themiree yisofollow'the irregularitiesci ^the"- ground.

'll'ie` devicel off the invention'. consists tot? an elongated 'base 20 theA lateralv sides ofrwhich .areA providedwith a ange v'1L forming; slides,` said?. base lfiavirig5 at the front-'thereof laterali."ear-'sv 22 drilled to receive the ends of an'l invert'edi U-bracket23 straddlingfthe bottom of'the'f'pole and provided to secure theffbase20 thereto, there-.- byavoiding drilling said holes and'thus weakens ing the same. As additional securing-meansgla' bolt-2151-ispassedl through the rear end ofthe' base andpOl'e, aswell asthe pole bar I3F, toconnect the three elements togetherand tighten thev samebymeans'ofthe nut=26` consequently, the basecof-thei device -solidly secured to-` theL pole' andto the tongbar, as illustratedy more particule. larly inligures 1,'2 and 3.

Longitudinally Arrrovable inside the `base; in fthe slides 22, there is a slider 30 having an eye 3| at its rear part and another eye 32 at its front part, the eye 3l being provided to receive one end of the chain I8 the other end of which chain is attached by suitable means to the frame of the vehicle as shown in Figure 1. The eye 32 is intended to receive, if necessary, an auxiliary chain to which an additional team of horses or animals can be hitched if an extra heavy load is to slider is provided to receive the doubletree I1 and, for that purpose, a king pin 35 is provided at the front of the slider as will be described later on, this king pin acting as a pivot for the doubletree to which are attached the swingletrees I6, as explained above, the draft imparted to the doubletree being directly transmitted therefrom to the slider and, thereafter, to the chain I8, the above elements being independent to the draft pole since they can slide freely with respect to said pole.

As clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the iront of the slider is formed with an under cavity 36 having a dependent lip 31 and an integral pin 38, this lip and pin extending downwardly from the upper part of the cavity 36. The lip 31 acts as an abutment for the lower portion of the pin 35, this lower portion 40 being constituted by a transverse cylinder the ends of which are extended laterally beyond the axis of the king pin to form a base abutting against the lip 31 and which prevents, at the same time, the retraction of the pin upwardly (see Figure 5). The base 40 is retained, on the side opposite the lip 31, by a plate 4| retained in the cavity 36 by the riveted head of the pin 38. This plate includes furthermore a lower enlargement 42 extending downwardly in a longitudinal slot 43 provided in the center of the base 20, which slot has for eiTect to limit, by means of the enlargement 42 aboveacting asabutment, the translation movement" of the slider 30 in the slides'of the base 20. Thus, in the advent of the breakage of chain I8, the slider cannot escape completely from its slide and the disastrous eiect so caused absolutely prevented.

In order to prevent bending stress being applied to the king pin above the slider whenever a traction is exerted on the doubletree I1, the upper part of zontal position by means of a bracket 45 one endof which engages the king pin and the other end held 'bya post 46 integral to the slider, at thel back thereof, cotter pin 41 retaining the bracket to the king pin and the post, respectively.

Consequently the said king pin is held at both ends thereof securely to the slider and any ten,-

sion applied to the doubletree distributed uni.l

formly along the king pin.

From the foregoing, l tion is an improvement in the art of draft devices in that it permits improving the steering lof sleighs and other horse drawn vehicles of the' same type.

According to the invention the unavoidable shocks caused by animal traction on ground which is often unequal, are transmitted to the vehicle independently of the draft pole which is consequently liberated of the stresses inherent to said traction, the said pole having forits sole function to insure the steering of the vehicle. Furthermore, the traction not being applied to the front of the sleigh of the runners, as is generally the case, the said runners can more easily follow the irregularities of the ground and anl important advantage, do not have this tendthe king pin is maintained in hori-` it is clear that the invenlli 4 ency to kick-up and to bear on the heels thereof. Finally, the steering mechanism, runners pivoting and connections between said runners and the pole not having to sustain the traction stresses, the design of the said elements can be modified to render them more efficient for their function while reducing their weight and mass.

Although the annexed drawing, as well as the description` thereof, have mentioned mostly a horse drawn vehicle and a doubletree, it is evident that while still remaining within the spirit of the invention a swingletree only can be used or, in certain cases, a tractor can be used for traction without in any case modifying the essential device of the invention, the doubletree only having to be changed.

It must be understood that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thel scope of the subjoined claims. A

Having thus described my invention, I claim;- for vehicles having a ydraft l. A traction device pole, a doubletree and longitudinally on the the slider, a bracket this Din to the rear receiving the doubletree, and achain the slider to the frame of the vehicle.

2. In a device as claimed in claim 1, a:base having slides secured to the draft pole, this base a frame, a slider movable pole, a king pin secured to connecting the free end `of of the slider, said kingV pin acting as a support for the slider and of means,

to limit the freetravel thereof.

3. In a device as in the slider to retain the king pin vertical, and to prevent its Withdrawal downwardly.

JOSEPH A.l E. MADOREL REFERENCES crTED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name .i Whipple Number ,connecting` claimed in claim K1,.,meansy 

